# U.S. Bombing Kills Several in Afghanistan Doctors Without Borders Hospital **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 3, 2015, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-bombing-kills-several-in-afghanistan-doctors-without-borders-hospital/733344 "2015-10-03T05:57:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2015, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-bombing-kills-several-in-afghanistan-doctors-without-borders-hospital/733344/1 "2015-10-03T05:57:56Z")
> [@](#): > > Three staff from Doctors Without Borders were killed and 30 were missing after an explosion near their hospital in the northern Afghan city of Kunduz that may have been caused by a U.S. airstrike. > > In a statement, the international charity said the “sustained bombing” took place at 2:10 a.m. (2140 GMT). Afghan forces backed by U.S. airstrikes have been fighting to dislodge Taliban insurgents who overran Kunduz on Monday. > > U.S. forces in Afghanistan said they conducted an airstrike on Kunduz at 2:15 a.m. The spokesman, U.S. Army Col. Brian Tribus, said the strike “may have resulted in collateral damage to a nearby medical facility” and that the incident was under investigation. [https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia\_pacific/doctors-without-borders-afghan-clinic-bombed-3-staff-dead/2015/10/03/cb02f0de-698a-11e5-bdb6-6861f4521205\_story.html](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/doctors-without-borders-afghan-clinic-bombed-3-staff-dead/2015/10/03/cb02f0de-698a-11e5-bdb6-6861f4521205_story.html) The United States is supposed to have the best technology–yet it keeps killing so many innocent civilians. ---
**Author:** ![toofs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4491bb/32.png) [@toofs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toofs)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2015, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-bombing-kills-several-in-afghanistan-doctors-without-borders-hospital/733344/2 "2015-10-03T08:16:34Z")
Stuff happens. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2015, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-bombing-kills-several-in-afghanistan-doctors-without-borders-hospital/733344/3 "2015-10-03T08:32:40Z")
If you are working in a warzone, then you have a higher than average chance of being killed. It doesn’t take an Einstein to figure that one out. Yes, it’s terribly unfortunate, but warfare is not an exact science, no matter what you might think of modern technology. Yes, it’s rotten that the doctors and some patients were killed, but sometimes, as **toofs** suggested, shit happens. When you can come up with a totally foolproof method that will only target the bastards whilst leaving the innocents untouched, then come back…with evidence, and pie! ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2015, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-bombing-kills-several-in-afghanistan-doctors-without-borders-hospital/733344/4 "2015-10-03T15:14:46Z")
[A press release from Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières)](http://www.msf.org/article/afghanistan-msf-staff-killed-and-hospital-partially-destroyed-kunduz) > [@](#): > > MSF condemns in the strongest possible terms the horrific bombing of its hospital in Kunduz full of staff and patients. MSF wishes to clarify that all parties to the conflict, including in Kabul and Washington, were clearly informed of the precise location (GPS Coordinates) of the MSF facilities…these precise locations were communicated to all parties on multiple occasions over the past months, including most recently on 29 September. > > The bombing continued for more than 30 minutes after American and Afghan military officials in Kabul and Washington were first informed. > … > It is with deep sadness that we confirm so far the death of nine MSF staff during the bombing last night of MSF’s hospital in Kunduz. Latest update is that 37 people were seriously wounded… There are many patients and staff who remain unaccounted for. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2015, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-bombing-kills-several-in-afghanistan-doctors-without-borders-hospital/733344/5 "2015-10-03T16:33:26Z")
I bet there were hospitals in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, too. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2015, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-bombing-kills-several-in-afghanistan-doctors-without-borders-hospital/733344/6 "2015-10-03T16:41:25Z")
> [@kambuckta](#): > > Yes, it’s terribly unfortunate, but warfare is not an exact science, no matter what you might think of modern technology. Yes, it’s rotten that the doctors and some patients were killed, but sometimes, as **toofs** suggested, shit happens. The United States has been in Afghanistan for more than a decade. That is plenty of time to map the location of hospitals and other areas which should not be bombed. ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2015, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-bombing-kills-several-in-afghanistan-doctors-without-borders-hospital/733344/7 "2015-10-03T16:44:27Z")
I look forward to such sanguinity next time terrorists blow up a hospital in America. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2015, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-bombing-kills-several-in-afghanistan-doctors-without-borders-hospital/733344/8 "2015-10-03T18:36:58Z")
> [@kambuckta](#): > > If you are working in a warzone, then you have a higher than average chance of being killed. It doesn’t take an Einstein to figure that one out. > > Yes, it’s terribly unfortunate, but warfare is not an exact science, no matter what you might think of modern technology. Yes, it’s rotten that the doctors and some patients were killed, but sometimes, as **toofs** suggested, shit happens. > > When you can come up with a totally foolproof method that will only target the bastards whilst leaving the innocents untouched, then come back…with evidence, and pie! Well said. Every effort is made to only bomb military targets. But targeting mistakes happen. We may have deliberately been given the wrong targeting information. A trap. We just don’t know what happened and what went wrong. We weren’t the ones that invaded this city a week ago. We are just trying to defeat those bastards and return it to Afghan control. The blame belongs to the Taliban for invading Kunduz . ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2015, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-bombing-kills-several-in-afghanistan-doctors-without-borders-hospital/733344/9 "2015-10-03T18:37:23Z")
nm ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2015, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-bombing-kills-several-in-afghanistan-doctors-without-borders-hospital/733344/10 "2015-10-03T18:46:00Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Every effort is made to only bomb military targets. How do you know? ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2015, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-bombing-kills-several-in-afghanistan-doctors-without-borders-hospital/733344/11 "2015-10-03T18:52:57Z")
> [@Peremensoe](#): > > How do you know? Its well known the US spends a lot of money on precision smart bombs. We don’t use cluster bombs like Russia is allegedly using in Syria. But even precision bombs can go wrong with the wrong targeting information. I don’t know who provided it in this case. But quite obviously a tragic mistake was made or we fell into a very clever trap designed to get us condemned world wide. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2015, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-bombing-kills-several-in-afghanistan-doctors-without-borders-hospital/733344/12 "2015-10-03T19:14:42Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > …even precision bombs can go wrong with the wrong targeting information. It’s almost like not _every effort_ was made to avoid blowing up the wrong people. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2015, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-bombing-kills-several-in-afghanistan-doctors-without-borders-hospital/733344/13 "2015-10-03T19:18:23Z")
> [@Claverhouse](#): > > I look forward to such sanguinity next time terrorists blow up a hospital in America. Difference being that this was accidental. ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2015, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-bombing-kills-several-in-afghanistan-doctors-without-borders-hospital/733344/14 "2015-10-03T19:28:14Z")
Of course, America’s Allies have always vied for the position of honour fighting in front of Yank forces. A Baptism of Fire indeed. ---
**Author:** ![Futurist110](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a88e4f/32.png) [@Futurist110](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Futurist110)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2015, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-bombing-kills-several-in-afghanistan-doctors-without-borders-hospital/733344/15 "2015-10-04T22:44:50Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > The United States has been in Afghanistan for more than a decade. That is plenty of time to map the location of hospitals and other areas which should not be bombed. Mistakes still happen, though. After all, “to err is human.” ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2015, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-bombing-kills-several-in-afghanistan-doctors-without-borders-hospital/733344/16 "2015-10-05T11:04:01Z")
That’s life. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2015, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-bombing-kills-several-in-afghanistan-doctors-without-borders-hospital/733344/17 "2015-10-05T17:16:53Z")
I hope this unfortunate incident raises the Afghan demand that US troops leave. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2015, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-bombing-kills-several-in-afghanistan-doctors-without-borders-hospital/733344/18 "2015-10-05T22:26:39Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > I hope this unfortunate incident raises the Afghan demand that US troops leave. I’m sure the Taliban agree. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2015, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-bombing-kills-several-in-afghanistan-doctors-without-borders-hospital/733344/19 "2015-10-05T23:56:33Z")
No doubt the US will stop bombing for awhile. Giving the Taliban free reign to overrun Kunduz. They’ll have the whole damn country overrun (again) in 2 years. why should we help again? fuck them. We’ve lost enough men and money in that place. maybe after thirty years or so the Afghans will get sick of the Taliban and rebel. We were there trying to help the liberation of Kunduz. Targeting errors happen and the whole world condemns us. Time to pack up and leave it to them. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2015, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-bombing-kills-several-in-afghanistan-doctors-without-borders-hospital/733344/20 "2015-10-06T00:48:11Z")
Latest update on the investigation. The bombing is being investigated by several organizations.They’ll get to the truth. > **[Civilians ‘accidentally struck’ in Afghan hospital bombing, U.S. commander...](https://www.cnn.com/2015/10/05/asia/afghanistan-doctors-without-borders-hospital/)** > > A Doctors Without Borders hospital in Afghanistan was struck accidentally after Afghan forces called for U.S. air support, a U.S. forces commander says. > [@](#): > > Addressing reporters Monday at the Pentagon, Campbell said initial reports indicated the airstrike was called to protect U.S. forces. > > “We have now learned that on October 3, Afghan forces advised that they were taking fire from enemy positions and asked for air support from U.S. forces,” he said. “An airstrike was then called to eliminate the Taliban threat, and several innocent civilians were accidentally struck.” > > Campbell offered his “deepest condolences.” > [@](#): > > U.S. President Barack Obama has said the Pentagon is carrying out “a full investigation” and he expects “a full accounting of the facts and circumstances.” > > Campbell said, "If errors were committed, we will acknowledge them. We will hold those responsible accountable, and we will take steps to ensure mistakes are not repeated. > > “We will await the outcome of the investigation to provide any additional updates, and we will share the results of the investigation once it is complete.” > > Campbell said he was releasing the information after speaking to the investigating officer in Kunduz. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-bombing-kills-several-in-afghanistan-doctors-without-borders-hospital/733344.md?page=2)